The present invention relates to systems and methods for aiding the insertion of detachable magazines in firearms. Accessories for firearms have increased steadily over time in both functionality and flexibility, and today, there is a wide variety of firearm accessories available including detachable magazine accessories.
To accomplish an efficient and reliable loading and/or reloading of a firearm, the detachable magazine has to be securely seated in the correct orientation, and this loading/reloading process should preferably be performed solely by feel, i.e., without the user having to look down at the firearm or at the magazine. Loading/reloading by feel enables the user to keep his/her eyes downrange which is very important in tactical situations, such as when a police officer is engaging a suspect during a bank robbery.
The inventor of the Avtomat Kalashnikova (AK) type of rifles, also commonly known as a Kalashnikov rifle (named after the inventor), had as his primary design goals exceptional reliability in the field and very low manufacturing cost. As a result, functionality was compromised including long-range accuracy and ease of loading and reloading. For example, the AR rifles, e.g., the Colt AR-15, are inherently more accurate and easier to reload than the AK rifles.
Loading an AK rifle variant requires initial insertion of the magazine into a straight-walled magazine opening, engaging the front magazine tab to the rifle, and then rotating the magazine rearward to engage the rear magazine tab into the rifle's magazine latch. Hence, loading and reloading an AK requires a lot of manual dexterity and the difficulty of a speed load or reload increases exponentially under stress.
It is therefore apparent that an urgent need exists for an AK magazine well attachment to aid the insertion of detachable magazines in AK rifle variants. This improvement enables users to quickly and easily complete a load or reload of an AK rifle without error, especially in stressful situations.